GE Compressors For Sour Gas Re-Injection Receive Ecomagination Certification

Florence, Italy - After completing a rigorous qualification and operational evaluation process, the BCL300 series of centrifugal compressors developed by GE Oil & Gas for sour gas re-injection to enhance petroleum production has received GE ecomagination certification.

Ecomagination is GE's commitment to address challenges such as the need for cleaner, more efficient sources of energy, reduced emissions and abundant sources of clean water, according to the company. GE's ecomagination products are evaluated for their ability to significantly and measurably improve the customer's environmental and operating performance. The multi-tiered review process is concluded with an independent, third party audit to ensure accuracy and thorough documentation of technological performance, adds GE.

According to GE, re-injection of gas into petroleum production wells not only stimulates the production process by sustaining well pressure, it also avoids the flaring of the gas and the consequent emission of greenhouse gas (CO2) into the environment. GE's worldwide fleet of BCL compressors installed since 2000 for gas re-injection has the capacity to prevent more than 49 million tons of CO2 from being released into the atmosphere each year, claims the company. That's the equivalent of the annual CO2 emissions released by approximately 10 million average cars.

Re-injection of sour gas – defined as natural gas that contains more than 10 ppm of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) – is the ultimate challenge in this kind of application. It allows the gas re-injection without the need of H2S separation with its production of otherwise unsalable sulfur that would bring its own disposal challenges, while offering safety and environmental advantages, according to GE.

Recently, GE Oil & Gas completed tests on the highest pressure sour gas re-injection train ever built, which is scheduled for installation at the Kashagan oil field of the North Caspian Sea, off the coast of Kazakhstan, claims the company. GE claims that based on well-proven re-injection train architecture that incorporates a GE Frame 5-2D gas turbine and three BCL centrifugal compressors, the turbo-compression train reached 820 bar pressure during full density tests, topping the former record of 690 bar, also achieved by GE technology. According to GE, protecting the ecology of the region is a critical requirement for the Kashagan project. To meet demanding environmental and safety standards, the entire re-injection train has been designed for zero leakage of sour gas, adds the company.

SOURCE: GE Oil & Gas